API nitrate test showing 160ppm 2 days ago it showed 5ppm before a 50% water change.

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50% water change and still off the charts 160+ppm Nitrate reading so unless my 11 1/8th inch MTS snails died under the sand and took my Nitrate from 5ppm or less to 180ppm in 2 days it has to be some variable with the test human or otherwise. I really don't know wtfs going on but like I keep saying I watch my fish everyday and there's no possible way my Nitrates are that high they wouldn't be swimming around happily like usual. God help me if I'm wrong I'd be devastated if I lost $80 in fish not just the cost but the fact I've been raising them for months.

You shouldn't have more than 10ppm of nitrates in city water per EPA regulations.

The same regulation exists in Canada (Canadian Health Codes), nitrates above 10ppm are not permitted.

If you take your time to do the research FIRST, you can successfully set-up and keep ANY type of aquarium with ease."Not using a quarantine tank is like playing Russian roulette. Nobody wins the game, some people just get to play longer than others." - Anthony CalfoFishless CycleCycling with FishMarine Aquarium Info [URL="http://saltwater.aquaticcommunity.com/"]

How long has your tank been cycled? Not to downplay your situation, but I can't remember the last time I checked any of my tanks. If your fish are not dying, I would not worry about it too much. I have heard so many different things on where your nitrates should be, I stopped worrying about it.

I live in the midwest and the local tap water is full of nitrates from the run off from all the farm fields. I have never gotten a reading from my tap, or a tank that is below 20ppm. At times I have gotten readings well above 100 ( if im remembering right ) from planted tanks. So I stopped worrying about it then. I get accurate readings from the ammonia and nitrite. At least I think I do. They were/are always at 0ppm when I check.

I actually took tank water to my local water department and had them check it a couple times. When it was above 100 on my API test, they had it under 5ppm. They check there's different, it's not ppm, its something else, so it took some math to get it figured out, but they seem to enjoy helping me out. I'm sure it would be different from place to place, but I don't see what it would hurt to ask your water department to check yours.

API test kits are accurate for the needs of a hobbiest. But if you want the real readings, much more accurate than guessing what color the water changes to in comparison to a color chart, I would get someone with a better test to get your results.

I don't think my 2 local LFS will check my water they want to sell the insanely overpriced kits so they won't do it. I'll call and check but I know the 1 won't.

Has anyone had really high Nitrates? like over 150 I can't imagine the fish would be acting normal in that situation.

I would do a couple of 75% water changes in one day or a single big one like close to 90%. That should easily make your nitrate reading go from red to orange.

Originally Posted by kim92

API test kits are accurate for the needs of a hobbiest. But if you want the real readings, much more accurate than guessing what color the water changes to in comparison to a color chart, I would get someone with a better test to get your results.

API is good enough in this situation. All he needs to do is get it from red to orange, which can easily done since his tap water is 0ppm.

so unless my 11 1/8th inch MTS snails died under the sand and took my Nitrate from 5ppm or less to 180ppm in 2 days it has to be some variable with the test human or otherwise.

Originally Posted by Rocksor

API is good enough in this situation. All he needs to do is get it from red to orange, which can easily done since his tap water is 0ppm.

I respectfully disagree that API is good enough in this situation. I would say the API test is not working for him at all at this point. I honestly do not think the nitrate in this tank is over, or even close to being 160ppm. I cannot explain what has happened, but I would say there is something wrong with the test, or how the water is being tested.

Has anyone had really high Nitrates? like over 150 I can't imagine the fish would be acting normal in that situation.

I used to have really high nitrates too, when I had an aqueon 30 only for my 30 gallon tank. The readings were constantly very high, at least 80 ppm and it seemed like higher. My stock included a common pleco about 5 inches, 2 small schools of harly rasboras and black neons, and if i remember correctly, a zebra loach. I never noticed any changes in the behavior of the fish and never had any deaths. Nevertheless, I upped my filtration with an aquaclear 50 in addition to the aqueon 30. Just to share my experience

I never use to use anything but a PH, AM, and Ni test when I had my big tanks years ago. I have an emp 400 and a 200 which is a lot of filtration; I've got 3 bio wheels between the 2 filters and my water turns over like 20 times an hour. My tank is also over 5 months old with a ton of plants.

When I first started using the api NA test it was wonky showing like 60+ etc when it was truly like 5 then I got it to be accurate but now it's messed up for some reason maybe human error or another reason. Before I changed 50% of my water I had a reading of 5ppm which is about normal then after I check and it's off the charts so I do another 50% change same test results; I don't wanna keep doing 50% changes everyday because my tap PH is a lil over 7 and my tank is 6 because of my driftwood so it's going to stress the fish out if I keep raising the PH. I keep checking my tap with the test and it shows no nitrates at all.

With that many plants and filtration I can't possibly have that much nitrate; I feed my fish 2 light meals a day and don't feed at all on Sundays and always do 2 water changes of 50% a week. I was just hoping to isolate the issue with the test but I'm not having much luck. Neither of my LFS will test my water and I'm not sure about the city water company since I live in hickville USA. Honestly that api NA test always annoyed me I just never did it so many times and got the same crazy high reading.

I'm planning to get a GBR soon and it'd be nice to have accurate NA results with it being such a touchy fish.

I did one last 50% change same result x3 with the api NA tester; I'm trying to think of any possible variables like could any of the rocks I put in there mess with the reading or the steel tacs that are rusty holding plants down in places I can't use fishing line?